State of the World 2002

Compulsory reading as always, this edition is devoted to an assessment of our progress towards a sustainable society in terms of Rio 92 moving towards Johannesburg in September of this year. The foreword by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan points out that we have not achieved a decisive enough break with business as usual - unsustainable approaches to economic progress remain pervasive. So 'the Johannesburg Summit can and must lead to a strengthened global recognition of the importance of achieving a sustainable balance between nature and the human economy'. The body of the book is devoted to analysis of a number of issues with accompanying policy recommendations: security, climate change, farming, the toxic burden, tourism, population, resources and repression, and reshaping global governance.